Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan's husband dies

Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesImage caption, The Tanzanian president's (pictured above) husband, Hafidh Ameir Hassan, kept a low profile and was rarely picturedByAlfred Lasteck, BBC Africa and Hafsa KhalilPublished7 September 2026, 11:08 BSTUpdated 38 minutes agoThe husband of Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Hafidh Ameir Hassan, has died while receiving treatment at a hospital in Zanzibar.Vice-president Deogratius Ndejembi - who made the official announcement of Ameir's death - said he had been suffering from a heart condition.Ndejembi added that funeral arrangements are under way in Kizimkazi, a village on the country's semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar.Ameir was an agricultural academic who largely kept a low public profile. He became Tanzania's first First Gentleman after President Samia took office in 2021.In his announcement, Ndejembi said Ameir died at 08:00 local time (06:00 GMT) on Monday at the Emilio Mzena Memorial Hospital.The vice-president led tributes as he conveyed his condolences to Samia, as well as Ameir's family and friends.Kenyan President William Ruto said he received the news of his passing with "deep sorrow"."President Samia has lost a lifelong companion, her children a beloved father, and Tanzania a distinguished son," he wrote on social media.The First Gentleman rarely appeared in public alongside the president. He was only occasionally seen with her at official events.He married Samia in 1978, before she entered national politics. The couple had four children - three sons and a daughter - together.Their daughter, Wanu Hafidh Ameir, is also a politician who currently serves in Zanzibar's House of Representatives in the National Assembly.'The crowd shouted that we'd stolen someone's genitals' - deadly rumours spread on social mediaPublished4 days agoEast Africa wants to curb imports of used clothes. But it's not easyPublished24 MayThe president blamed for shattering Tanzania's aura of stabilityPublished9 November 2025Go to BBCAfrica.com, external for more news from the African continent.Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, external, on Facebook at BBC Africa, external or on Instagram at bbcafrica, externalRelated topicsAfricaZanzibarTanzaniaSamia Suluhu HassanBBC Africa podcastsFocus on AfricaThis Is Africa